Franklin Resources Inc. Reduces Stock Position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Franklin Resources Inc. cut its stake in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 47.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 16,000 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 14,549 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc.’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $660,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Valvoline by 0.4% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,096,436 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $171,436,000 after buying an additional 16,916 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Valvoline by 8.1% during the 3rd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 422,989 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $17,702,000 after acquiring an additional 31,661 shares during the period. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in Valvoline by 28.8% in the 2nd quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 126,232 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $5,453,000 after purchasing an additional 28,254 shares in the last quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG bought a new position in Valvoline in the 3rd quarter valued at $4,628,000. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Valvoline by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,226,769 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $93,215,000 after purchasing an additional 54,545 shares in the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Valvoline news, Director Charles M. Sonsteby bought 10,000 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $39.50 per share, with a total value of $395,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 26,437 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,044,261.50. This represents a 60.84 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total value of $76,560.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer now directly owns 14,956 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $598,240. The trade was a 11.35 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.66% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Valvoline Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE:VVV opened at $36.24 on Tuesday. Valvoline Inc. has a 12-month low of $33.86 and a 12-month high of $48.26. The company has a current ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $39.69 and its 200-day moving average price is $41.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.37 and a beta of 1.43.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VVV has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Stephens initiated coverage on Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 price objective on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on Valvoline in a report on Friday, December 20th. They set a “hold” rating and a $42.00 price objective for the company. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on shares of Valvoline from $52.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on shares of Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $45.78.

Valvoline Profile

Valvoline Inc engages in the operation and franchising of vehicle service centers and retail stores in the United States and Canada. The company, through its service centers, provides fluid exchange for motor oil, transmission and differential fluid, and coolant; parts replacement for batteries, filters, wiper blades, and belts; and safety services, such as tire inflation and rotation, bulbs, and safety checks.